Blog, Blog, Blog

Words of Wisdom

2011-01-14T08:45:00.001-06:00

Isaac on trying new foods: "you should just try something even if it doesnt look right."

Please Pray for Haiti

2010-11-12T16:59:00.002-06:00

The adoption agency that we are working with also works in Haiti. As you may already know Haiti was hit by a horrible earthquake early this year, but what was not so well publicized is that earlier this month, Haiti was hit by a hurricane. So many, many Haitians that are already living in earthquake refugee camps were flooded out by the hurricane and rains. Please, please say a prayer for them.

Here is the blog for God's children in Haiti.... http://www.godschildreninhaiti.com/

What the Friday??

2010-10-29T08:52:00.003-05:00

My What the friday is about a girl in Kansas this week who was taking a class about livestock and poultry prodution. The class project was to raise chickens and then slaughter, dress and package them...well this girl got attached to her chicken and refused to slaughter it, instead she smuggles the dumb thing out of school in her purse.

ok Really?? what did she think they were going to do with a chicken in a class about poultry production??? and why on earth would anyone put a chicken in a purse??? that would make a huge mess. And lastly the article ends with the chicken now lives on a relatives farm...really?? And what happens to chickens on farms??? They live happily ever after right??

Here is the link if you want to read more...
http://www.nbcactionnews.com/dpp/news/local_news/hs-student-smuggles-chicken-out-of-school-project

Isaac funny

2010-10-19T14:56:00.004-05:00

The other night we were playing a game as a family. We had recently bought an add-on to the game and were figuring out the new cards. Todd was confused about one of the new cards and kept questioning me about it. I had played the card at a friend's house and knew how it worked but Todd kept arguing about it. After I explained it for the third time, I asked, "do you get it now, oppositional-boy?"

Isaac pipes up with "yeah Dad, you are reminding me of me!"

Also Isaac just loves Grover doing the Old Spice commercial....

http://buzz.yahoo.com/buzzlog/94062?fp=1

Our adoption journey (so far)

2010-10-19T14:33:00.003-05:00

We started our adoption journey in January 2008 when we started working with a local agency. Our homestudy and training took about six months so in June 2008 we were put in "their book". We sat there for two years waiting for an adoption in the state of ND.

Finally in 2010 we decided that we needed to go out of state. We started working with a new agency that does homestudies in ND and MN. We spent the summer doing paper work and redoing our homestudy. Our fingerprints came back in September so now we are in the "waiting" stage again.

I feel a lot more hopeful with this agency though, they have been able to show us more "situations" in the last month than the local one did in 2 years. So hopefully soon one of these situations will work out to our baby.

Stacy

2010-10-19T14:29:00.002-05:00

Stacy had surgery two weeks ago. The girl had been growing lumps, some of them getting pretty big so the vet decided that they should come out. Thankfully they were just fatty tissue. She has had to wear a cone for the last two weeks too, she is using it as an excuse to run into things and especially me!

Today she got her stitches taken out and it must have hurt because she is pouting. She has to wear the cone for a couple more days and cant have a bath until next week. Poor girl really needs one, too.

First day of School

2010-09-10T10:43:00.002-05:00

Isaac started Kindergarten this year at a public school. He is doing pretty good so far. We still have some sensory kinks to work out. I think that he has a really understanding teacher so hopefully we can get him adjusted soon.

I am back to subbing, and actually started on the first day of school too. I have been keeping pretty busy, so I have not had much time to get things done around the house. But that is ok, I like to be in the classrooms.

Summer Wrap Up

2010-08-26T10:27:00.005-05:00

Here is Isaac's "jet ski" hair! He loved going to the cabin and riding the jet ski for hours at a time!

You know it is hot out when the dog lays on the air conditioning!!

Isaac funny

2010-07-27T10:10:00.002-05:00

A conversation from this morning...

Isaac: how long until we get to go and pick up my friend?

Me: a few hours

Isaac:how many minutes are in an hour, and how many seconds?

Me: 60 minutes in an hour, 60 seconds in a minute. so what's 60 times 60?

Isaac: An hour.

What the Friday!!

2010-07-16T14:43:00.002-05:00

Why do some people insist on riding their bike ON the highway when there is a perfectly good bike trail right BESIDE the before-mentioned highway??

Ketchup??

2010-06-20T19:09:00.006-05:00

Wow, summer is speeding by already...We went camping in Medora for Memorial day Weekend. It was fun, kind of cold, but I prefer that it not be really hot when we camp in a non electrical campground. There were some wild horses in our campsite twice, so that was exciting. The bison weren't too active. Isaac was able to complete the booklet to become a junior park ranger. He recieved two badges for his efforts and had to wear both of them all weekend. He also wanted to go to the Cowboy Museum so we did since it was a little rainy. I didnt find it that interesting but Isaac enjoyed it.

In June, we planned and then canceled a couple of camping trips. the weather has just been too stormy.

We stayed home for the 4th of July. Our neighborhood had a great time lighting off fireworks, we were all out on the street until after midnight. It is so awesome to have such fun, friendly neighbors.

Last week, we spent a few days with Todd's family on their farm. Both of his brothers were able to come this year so we had a good visit. We also had some canoe rides on the dam, a couple of campfires, and roasted marshmallows.

Happy Father's day

2010-06-20T19:06:00.004-05:00

Happy Father's day first of all to my Dad!

And next to Todd!

Love you guys!!

SUMMER!!

2010-05-26T19:26:00.001-05:00

I am done with my long term subbing position! Yeah!!!

I got the room all packed up tonight and turned in my keys! What a relief to be done! I am so jazzed about going back to being "just" a mom again!!!

I Miss.....

2010-05-20T18:52:00.002-05:00

Since I have been working so much I have begun to realize all that I miss around the house...

I miss my voice, with the allergies, and a kindergarten class, I seem to have lost mine.

I miss cooking. I mean I actually miss being able to have time to plan a decent meal and enjoy cooking it for my family. and those of you who know me, know I have never been a fan of cooking.

I miss having time to clean my house, I dont like having to squeeze in a quick scrubbing of the tub and calling it "good enough". Honestly, I have been sticking to my kitchen floor for almost a week now.

I miss my friends, I dont have time to even talk to my husband, let alone chat with my girlfriends.

And most of all, I miss my son's attitude. With my working a lot, he is so tired that I don't even get the "tude" anymore, and honestly I really miss being able to spend so much time with him that he is "sick" of me.

Sorry...

2010-05-08T15:29:00.003-05:00

Wow, it has been a long time since I have updated this blog...

We are all healthy again...I had to go back in for my ear infection and get more antibiotics. Isaac had a cold that went into his eye, so he went in for drops. And Todd just coughed a lot.

I have been soooo busy with the subbing. The lesson plans involve a lot of work at home since I don't have much if any prep time during my days at school. The students have been a lot of fun, most are little darlings.

Only 2 1/2 weeks left but A LOT to get done in that time...assessments, report cards, field trips to prepare for, kindergarten graduation program to learn songs and poems for, etc.

I would just like to note that while I am very busy with all of this, that I could easily have been busier, but several staff members have been helping out to ease the work load! I can't say enough about the staff at this school. They have been so incredibly helpful and supportive. They are such an awesome group of people!

What the friday??

2010-05-08T15:27:00.003-05:00

It must be nice to have so much money that you have no idea what to do with it....geez....I don't just mean the ring, which is stupid enough, but to pay for an entire wedding every year? give me a break!

http://new.music.yahoo.com/blogs/stopthepresses/180703/mariah-carey-renews-vows-with-strange-ring-pop-ring/

Another one bites the dust...

2010-04-12T20:31:00.002-05:00

I had a very bad cold before Easter, woke up with an ear infection on Easter morning, I still have not regained full hearing in my left ear.

This weekend, Todd started coughing and complaining of cold symptoms. Today he went to the doctor but, luckily, he doesnt have any infection...

And it begins....

2010-04-12T20:28:00.003-05:00

Today, I started a long term sub postion. I will be educating a wonderful group of kindergarteners for 6 1/2 weeks. So far, I have put in a lot more work outside of the classroom than in it. Alas, I am not paid for any of those hours. And the little angels are testing the limits like you would not beleive. But on the upside, I have NOT run out of the room, screaming, yet....

Also on the upside, the school is just FULL of supportive staff members. I don't know how many people welcomed me today and offered to help if I needed anything.

What the Friday!!

2010-04-10T11:23:00.000-05:00

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/eu_russia_adopted_boy

This story just makes me sooo angry! I can't even put any words to it....

What the Friday??

2010-04-03T17:17:00.003-05:00

My husband just checked the mail. I had ordered some pictures from Kodak, since they were larger sizes I had them mailed instead of printed locally. The envelope clearly states KODAK PHOTOS, and PHOTOS DO NOT BEND. So what does my mail carrier do? She bends them and shoves them in the mail box!!! I am just livid! I mean she ruined 4 8x10's at $4 each and the shipping is a minimum of $8 to reorder them....so she can just bend them again?? Really, is my driveway that long that she couldnt get out and walk them to the door???

What a day!

2010-04-03T16:57:00.004-05:00

Thursday night, we went to bed to pouring rain outside. We woke up to massive snow. The north side of our house had so much snow stuck to the windows that it was impossible to see out. Out the front of the house it was snowing so hard that I couldnt see across the street. Isaac's playdate/egg dying date was canceled due to road conditions.

Shortly after 830, the electricity started flashing on and off. About 900 am it went off for good. So then Isaac was mad that we couldn't color eggs at all, we couldnt boil eggs without power. Also, in our co-op no electricity means very little water pressure and/or water since the water pump is electrical too.

About 100, we were starting to get cold, so I called Todd at work who talked me through how to take the fireplace off of electricity and put it on batteries. So then we could hang out down there and at least be warm even though it was a lot darker than in the living room.

Todd got home from work about 220 since his place of employment did not have snow removal lined up and they didn't want any one to be stuck there for the weekend. He had also talked to the power company about the outage, I guess they had a lot of lines down so they told him to expect 2-3 days. So we had a plan all in place. Isaac could sleep in the family room and try out our new hide a bed couch, we could use the guest bed. The fireplace would be able to keep both those rooms warm. We filled up some water jugs for when the water tank was empty, and we could cook in the camper which uses gas, or on the grill in necessary.

But luckily, the power came back on around 330, it was flashy at first, but then stayed on. Wow we were so fortunate. I just pray that the rest of the outage was fixed just as quickly.

Spring?

2010-03-29T20:09:00.006-05:00

It really feels like spring around here. It was 70 degrees today, and warm yesterday too. We went for a walk yesterday around our neighborhood and visited with several neighbors that we haven't talked to since fall. Isaac and the neighbor girl have played together two days in a row now; riding bikes, playing soccer, playing baseball, and throwing snowballs. And the dog is too wet to be allowed in the house, so it must be spring!!

Isaac funnies for March

2010-03-26T09:58:00.004-05:00

Isaac's class is making a chart about "lion" days and "lamb" days for March. As he was explaining this to me, he adds, "then at the end of the month, the winner gets to eat the loser. I hope the lion wins, then it will get to eat the lamb!"

At OT the other day, Isaac was supposed to throw beanbag fish into hoops. The therapist tells him, "here are the fish, can you get them in their tanks?" So he starts throwing the fish with out much luck. One fish hit a hoop but bounced out. The therapist encouraged him with "that was good, Isaac." So he responds with, "Yeah at least it got wet! It should be ok for a little while."

What the Friday?

2010-03-26T09:52:00.002-05:00

I was driving home the other day after picking up my son from school, and at a stop light I saw a car coming towards us and the lady’s hair looked odd, as she got closer to the light, I realized that the woman had a CAT on her head. Yes, the pet kind. She turned at the light, and then turned into the veterinary clinic. Isaac and I both got a good laugh out of that.

And since I have skipped a couple of Fridays, here is another one...

Lindsay Lohan is suing the Etrade babies for using the name "Lindsay". Really because it is such an uncommon name that only SHE can have it. What a spoiled brat. I mean what kind of person sues babies??

http://omg.yahoo.com/news/lindsay-lohan-suing-e-trade-for-milkaholic-parody/37130

What the Friday

2010-03-04T19:24:00.004-06:00

For the last two weeks, my shows have not been on tv thanks to the olympics which is understandable, almost. But I cannot understand why they have to put the class B basketball games on tv during my tv time! Really, anyone who cares about the games is probably in town to watch them anyway.

Career goals

2010-03-03T20:22:00.005-06:00

It is always amusing to talk to children about what they will be when they grow up. At 3, Isaac wanted to be a road train truck driver that hauls basketballs through Austrailia. At 4, he commented that it would be safer to work at McDonalds, since you could pinch your fingers in the drive thru window at Hardees. Not that he wanted to work at a drive thru, he wanted to be a "destruction" worker.

Now the other day, he was asking all kinds of questions about compter games and programming computers, so now he has decided that making computer games would be a lot like playing all day so maybe he will do that when he grows up.

It will be interesting to see what he really ends up doing.

Chicken Nugget Sandwiches?

2010-03-03T20:19:00.002-06:00

The other day when I picked up Isaac after work, we were visiting about his day and he told me he had macaroni and cheese and chicken nugget sandwiches for lunch. so I just had to ask, so you put your chicken nuggets on bread? (I figured he wanted to be like his father. Todd is constantly putting anything he eats on bread to make a sandwich.) He replied with, no mom, my babysitter made sandwiches out of big chicken nuggets! I had to try not to laugh at him...he is too cute...

Carpet and late What The Friday

2010-02-23T19:36:00.004-06:00

We finally got our carpet put in the house last Thursday, here is our beautiful new family room.

And now for the What The Friday part....here are our stairs....

Yes, that's right, they didnt have enough carpet to finish them...it will take a couple of weeks for more carpet to come in.

Monopoly Mania

2010-02-15T09:48:00.002-06:00

Todd and I were playing Monopoly Deal this weekend, and Isaac was playing with our Monopoly City board and buildings. He really likes all the little buildings. Isaac kept asking us questions about the Monopoly Deal game until he finally joined "Todd's team". Still that wasn't enough to curb his curiosity, so we finally dealt him his own cards. Well two games later, Isaac has the game almost completely mastered and has won both games. He only needs help with a little bit of the reading. I think Isaac is completely hooked on the game because he has played around 6 or more games of it since then. We even had to play it twice more this morning after breakfast. I think it is great since Todd doesn't have that much time to play games with me. The older Isaac gets the more games he can learn to play with me!

Weekend update

2010-02-15T09:43:00.003-06:00

We started out the weekend with a datenight. Todd and I went out for dinner with some friends to an italian restaurant. It was pretty good, the dessert was awesome. Then we went to a movie, Avatar. Todd really liked it but he is into science fiction. I liked the first half when we were introduced to the planet of Pandora and the Na'vi. But the second half was too violent for my taste.

Saturday we moved furniture out of the office room to get ready for the carpet to come. Hopefully that is put in soon.

Sunday we had a more relaxed day, I think we all took naps at some point and played games, and sorted pictures for the photo albums. I am way way behind.

And of course we celebrated Valentine's day. I recieved cards and flowers from my guys. I gave them cards and Isaac got a box of "pot of gold" chocolate. He is such a chocoholic I thought he would appreciate the better chocolate and he does, he even shares some with me.

What the Friday??

2010-02-11T15:07:00.005-06:00

Most people I know try to keep rodents out of their houses, not invite them in and keep them as pets. But one person out there has a 100 pound rodent as a pet! Think about that...100 lbs! My Stacy is only 68 lbs. Gross!! Here is a picture of him lying on the couch!

here is the website for more pictures.....http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/100-pound-rodent-kept-pet-photo-released-Melanie-Typaldos-shows-Caplin-pet-capybara-and-daughters/ss/events/sc/020310capybararodent/im:/100202/480/51ef393997584ddc8217f1b866deadca/

Funny words

2010-02-11T15:02:00.002-06:00

Isaac has decided that he likes to say funny words repetively just for the fun of it....last week was "Bazing-ga". This week's word seems to be "milk-a-whata". I can't decide if it is entertaining or annoying.

Hell Week

2010-02-11T14:57:00.003-06:00

Last week was really awful at our house. Todd was out of town for the week for work. Isaac wasn't very happy about that and took it out on me. And just for fun, I threw in a sinus infection. Yeah! To top things off, Todd's flight home on Friday morning was canceled. Luckily, he was able to get on the next flight and get home late that night.

This week, we are settling back into our routine, and things are going a lot more smoothly!

What the Friday??

2010-02-05T17:27:00.004-06:00

I have been coming up with this idea for a couple of weeks now, so here it goes...I would like to start a new blog carnival...What the Friday?? It basically comes from the idea that at least once a week I hear/see something that makes me think "what the frick?" so I thought I could share some of those things with you. If you want to share yours, feel free....

So onto this week's What the Frick?

I heard on the radio this week that Indianapolis is pushing back its school start time on Monday morning by one hour. Apparantly in the past when the Colts have been in the Superbowl, the bus drivers all call in sick the morning after, so to try to deter this, the schools are actually going to open later. Really?? Like the bus drivers won't still be hungover then?

In New Orleans, school has been canceled altogether for Monday.

The radio announcers then went on to say that it would work out better if President's Day was moved to coincide with The Superbowl because then the schools would already be out for the day. Really, why not move the Superbowl by one week?

Jewelry

2010-02-04T12:29:00.005-06:00

A couple of weeks ago, I was looking at the newsletter for a local clay place and noticed a class they were offering to make jewelry pieces. So I signed up. It was a lot of fun, we started with wet clay and used stamps to make texture and cookie cutters to cut out our pieces. Then they had to be cooked in the kiln. Then the next week we went back to glaze our pieces. It was so much fun and I am really happy with how mine turned out. Here they are:

Now I need to finish each off with beads and cord.

Brett Favre

2010-01-28T14:41:00.004-06:00

Football opinions aside, I really admire someone who is willing to laugh at himself. Check out the latest Sears ads at http://sears.weeklyelectronicsdeals.com/1B4b547e6634daa012.cde

Weekend Update

2010-01-18T13:51:00.003-06:00

We had a good weekend around here. On Friday, Stacy had to go to the vet for her shots, and we found out that she has gained more weight so she has been told to lose 5 lbs. Poor girl.

On Saturday, Todd worked in the family room, he finished the ceiling and lights. So we are all ready for carpet down there. I want to clean out the computer room first and get that recarpeted at the same time since it has really yucky carpet. On Saturday night, we attended the employee appreciation for Todd's work. He received his 10 years of service award. Way to go Todd!! We had a good time visiting with his coworkers, dancing and eating. Oh yeah, and a group of us snuck off to the bar to watch the Colts game. In the meantime, Isaac got to spend some time with his favorite babysitter ever.

On Sunday, we watched the Vikings beat up on the Cowboys. Go Vikes!!

A Crazy Week

2010-01-15T13:23:00.003-06:00

Well it has been a crazy week in my world. I have started back to work substitute teaching and have been working 2 days a week so far. I could have had more days if I could somehow be at two schools at the same time. However I haven't figured that one out yet. I am really enjoying the teaching again. Isaac has been doing just wonderful with the whole change. I think that it really helps him that he has a fantastic lady to watch him while I am at work.

On Wednesday this week, I got a flat tire in the middle of my "errands" morning. Todd came to my rescue and I still managed to get most of my errands done. The tire was so flat that we had to order a new one. Also on Wednesday, my landline phone decided to quit working, but they were able to get that fixed by Thursday evening.

So I hope that will be all for my "bad luck" for a while.

Happy New Year

2010-01-03T18:38:00.004-06:00

Christmas is done, and we took down the trees today. Isaac is happy to be able to run in the living room again. The tree took up too much space.

School starts tomorrow and I think Isaac is happy to be going back, but he has not complained at all about being home. He wasn't "bored" once. He slept in almost every day so getting up tomorrow morning may be a challenge.

I have set up my new years goals. I am going with a monthly goal system again this year. It makes it easier to actually accomplish some things. Each month I will write out 3-4 goals to accomplish for that month. Januarys include cleaning up my computer room, cleaning out the filing cabinet, and exercising at least three times each week. I am also going back to a gratitude journal this year.

The other 'new' in this year is that I will be going back to substitute teaching a couple days a week. I put my name on the list before Christmas break and already have a few days scheduled. So that should be fun.

Christmas

2009-12-31T14:39:00.002-06:00

We had a great Christmas around here with the exception of our company not being able to come. (It blizzarded and all the roads were closed.) On Christmas eve, we celebrated a birthday party in honor of Jesus's birthday. We had balloons, games, and cake with ice cream.

Christmas morning, Isaac slept in until almost 8, then insisted that I open my gifts first because he was so excited about what he had bought me. Isaac was really happy with his gifts, and is still playing with most of them a week later, so that is a good sign. Todd and I didn't buy each other that much which worked out great, nothing to put away!

Christmas break has been going well too, Isaac has been finally learning to sleep in. He has been keeping himself quite busy with projects around the house. I have really enjoyed having him home again.

Ready for Christmas?

2009-12-24T13:59:00.003-06:00

Well it is Christmas Eve Day and I think that I am ready for Christmas. We baked cookies and made some chocolate covered party mix. I am done with the shopping and wrapping. I even had time to make a couple of gifts. Isaac is done with his school holiday program, and it went well. Sorry no photos, they were all group pics. Now I just hope that the weather will cooperate and our company will be able to come this weekend.

I have been letting Isaac open a few of his gifts this week. It has been really fun. He is at the perfect age for this. He appreciates everything so much, and it has been making my week go a lot smoother. For example, on Monday when he was nervous about his holiday program that night, I let him open a movie from his Auntie so that took his mind off of his anxiety for almost 2 hours! On Tuesday he opened the Mad Libs from me and Todd, and that was an hour or so of fun and laughing for the two of us.

Stacy's gettin' nuttin' for Christmas

2009-12-15T17:35:00.005-06:00

Oh, Stacy’s gettin' nuttin' for Christmas
Mommy and Daddy are mad.
Stacy’s gettin' nuttin' for Christmas
'Cause she ain't been nuttin' but bad.

Destroyed a brand new Christmas wreath;
Somebody snitched on her.
Tried to knock down the Christmas tree;
Somebody snitched on her.
Did a dance on Mommy’s foot;
Ate the garbage and made a mess;
Somebody snitched on her.

Oh, Stacy’s gettin' nuttin' for Christmas
Mommy and Daddy are mad.
Stacy’s gettin' nuttin' for Christmas
'Cause she ain't been nuttin' but bad.

Weekend update

2009-12-15T14:44:00.003-06:00

We had a very busy weekend. Well actually it started on Thursday night when I went out to the MOMS Club annual cookie exchange. the cookies were all so yummy.

Then Isaac had a Christmas program at the church on Sunday so that took up most of the weekend. Saturday morning was practice, and then on Sunday he had his regular church school in the morning (it was my turn to teach) and then the program in the afternoon.

Saturday morning Todd worked on the fireplace and attached all the rocks to the wall, now he just needs to grout around them and the fireplace will be done.

Sunday evening Todd had the coop board meeting at our house so we also had to clean the house and fix some goodies for that.

Christmas Movies

2009-12-08T13:49:00.004-06:00

This year the Christmas season has been different from the past years in that Isaac has been remembering and asking for various things from Christmases past. I think it is so neat that our family traditions are beginning to take shape.

One tradition that I am sure most families have is watching Christmas movies. This past weekend, Isaac asked for the "Grinch" (the animated one) so I went to the video store and rented it for us. He has been watching it every day since then. Luckily we get to keep it for a week. This movie has always been a favorite of mine too so I sat down yesterday afternoon and enjoyed it with him.

Another movie that we have enjoyed every year as a family is the Polar Express. I rented that one too and plan to have a family movie night soon.

Lastly, it doesn't feel like Christmas without Ralphie. It is a must in my world to watch "A Christmas Story" at least once during the season. Isaac hasn't shown much interest in that one yet.

So that is our family, what are your favorite Christmas movies?

Weekend Update

2009-12-07T13:08:00.007-06:00

We had a great weekend around here. We bought a new artificial Christmas tree, and put it up. Isaac was not impressed and insisted that there is nothing wrong with the old one, so we let him put it up in his room. We had to move some toys out but he didn't mind. I gave him some non-breakable ornaments to decorate it with. He did almost all the "work" himself, he was so proud of himself. I thought it was fun to sit back and watch him figure it all out. I have plans to decorate the new tree in all silver and turquoise.

On Sunday, Todd started working on the rock around the fireplace in the family room. And I wrapped some Christmas presents and decorated.

Thanksgiving

2009-12-02T10:55:00.003-06:00

We had a nice Thanksgiving. We went up to my parent's house. My brother, his wife and son also traveled there. It was so nice to see everyone. My nephew is really cute! We had a busy house Thanksgiving day with about 15 for dinner, we all had fun visiting and playing with the boys.

The weekend also included swimming at the motel, visiting extended family that I hadnt seen for awhile, playing board games (my son discovered Battleship and absolutely loves it). My mom and I snuck away for awhile on Friday to do some shopping, we found a couple of good deals. We also made time to go and watch New Moon. We both really enjoyed it.

We came home on Saturday, which worked out well since Todd was "bored" on Sunday so he painted the last coat of paint in the family room. So that is getting closer to done.

Hoping to see this soon!

2009-11-25T10:36:00.003-06:00

Parent Teacher Conferences

2009-11-25T10:30:00.003-06:00

We had Isaac's conference last week. He is doing so well in school. Todd and I are so impressed and proud of him. His teachers say he is enthusiastic to be in school, and stays busy, making good use of his time. He completes every project. He is creative, often times adding his own details to the projects.

Because so much of their day is activities that don't involve a "take home part", I wasn't aware of some of the work that they were doing. Let me just say that I am impressed with the level of work that he has been doing.

Way to go, Isaac!! And a big Thank You to his two wonderful teachers!

Trust

2009-11-16T07:45:00.002-06:00

This is from the church bulletin yesterday....

"Trust does not eliminate the bad things that may happen (in life)...Trust simply finds a new outlet for anxiety and a new grounding for confidence: God. Let God worry about the worrisome details of life, most of which are out of (our) control anyway."

Cell phone rage?

2009-11-12T16:21:00.003-06:00

Are any of you familiar with this?

I got a call this afternoon from a really crabby sounding person asking if I just called their number. I said "no". He responded with but I just got a call from this number. "No you didnt" I say. So then he tells me a number close to mine but not exactly mine, and I say "that is not my number." He says, so what is your number? I respond with "the number you just dialed and I didn't call you," and hung up.

Idiot, if you are going to cellphone rage on someone for misdialing, maybe you should dial correctly yourself!

Updates

2009-11-10T18:48:00.009-06:00

We have been really busy around here. We made our annual visit to the pumpkin patch....

And had a great Halloween. I didn't get any good pictures of Isaac, he dressed up like a fire fighter. My mom came down to visit that weekend too. We took in the quilt show.

Todd and Isaac baked me a cake and took me out for supper the night before my birthday too. Then Mom and I spent the morning of my birthday doing some shopping while Isaac was in school. It was a great time!

I spent the evening of my birthday with some friends. We went out to dinner and then were off to a "Diva Night" to get a little pampered and buy a new purse. It was a really fun time.

This last weekend went really well. As some of you know the weather was just gorgeous. I was outside barefoot on Saturday cleaning my windows. I have also been grilling a lot with the nice weather. Todd picked out some stone for his fireplace. Todd and Isaac got the laundry room primered and put back together.

Besides for the football withdrawal (the Vikings had a bye week), it was a good weekend.

Blue Jays

2009-11-10T18:39:00.002-06:00

We love to watch birds at our house. Lately we have been enjoying frequent visits from Blue Jays. They like the sunflower seeds. This is a fun bird to watch because they will scream before landing to eat. That way we know when to look for it. We have all gotten accustomed to the sound so when we hear it we all automatically look out the window. I tried to take a picture but it didnt turn out very well.

Wordless Wednesday (well almost wordless)

2009-11-04T12:22:00.002-06:00

One busy weekend.

2009-10-18T19:46:00.007-05:00

We were so busy this weekend...it feels like we ran all weekend.

Saturday morning I met with my circle group at church. They are such a great group of ladies. I was the hostess this month so I got up early and baked some coffee cake before the meeting.

Saturday afternoon, Isaac attended an animal adventure camp at the zoo. He learned about spooky spiders and had a great time. While Isaac was there, Todd and I enjoyed a walk around the zoo. It was so nice out this weekend. And all the animals were actually awake and walking around, it was fun. Then Todd and I ran a couple of errands before going back to pick up Isaac.

Saturday night, Todd and I attended a party for some friends of ours while Isaac stayed home with a babysitter. We all had fun.

Sunday morning, Isaac and I went to church school while Todd stayed home to sleep. He was not feeling well. Sunday afternoon Todd watched the football game, while Isaac and I attended a birthday party for one of Isaac's school friends. It was a lot of fun. It was at a gymnastics place and the kids got to run around and jump on all the trampolines and such. It wore them out!

Lowe's Math and Paint Colors

2009-10-10T19:21:00.006-05:00

One day, Todd and Isaac went to Lowe's to pick up some primer to start painting the family room. While Todd was reading the primer to figure out how much to get, he told Isaac that they will need 2 gallons for one coat. So Isaac asks how many coats they were going to do. Todd responded with "2". Without even pausing to think, Isaac responds with, "well we will need 4 gallons then."

Also while there Isaac decided to pick out some paint color. Well he picked an orange that he just loves. Later at supper, we were discussing paint colors for the basement. I gently tried to tell Isaac that we may not use the color that he picked because it is up to the mom and dad to pick the color. I told him that when he got older that he and his wife could pick the colors. Todd added, "actually Isaac it is usually the girls that get to pick the colors." Of course Isaac didn't like that idea and said the he would just tell his wife "the way it goes." So I just had to ask. "really how will it go?"

Isaac then explained to me that he and his wife will have 28 rooms and they will each get to pick 14 colors. Wow that will be a big, colorful house.

Sensory Processing Disorder Conference

2009-10-10T16:31:00.006-05:00

Yesterday a friend of mine and I attended a conference on SPD. It was very informative. So much so that it was overwhelming. I am so glad that the presenter gave us all a manual of the information so that I can go back over it. I also bought a few books.

While I learned a lot of strategies on how to handle my son's behavior, I felt the most important thing that I learned are easy to remember and understand definitions of SPD so that other people in my son's life can also begin to understand him and his behavior. The more people in his life that can understand him and his needs, the safer it will be for him to have his needs met.

One definition is as follows: Sensory processing disorder is when the brain mutes or magnifies sensory messages inappropriately.

Another thing that I learned that I would love everyone to know about sensational kids is that on the inside SPD causes chaos, so they really need constant on the outside.

Yesterday's conference is just one step in that understanding. I hope that all the social workers, teachers, occupational therapists, and parents that attended it will have more understanding next time they work with a sensational child.

A Thousand Splendid Suns

2009-10-10T16:26:00.004-05:00

One thing I planned to do on this blog when I started it was "book reviews". I haven't done that many but it is never too late to start.

A Thousand Splendid Suns was written by Khaled Hosseini. (He also wrote Kite Runner which was also a very good read.)

I thought this book was so good that I have in fact read it twice which is not something I do often. It is not only a heart breaking story about a couple of women and their families (the things these women have to endure are just awful), it is also full of the history of Afghanistan which I personally did not know much about. After reading this book, I have a renewed fear of the Taliban and terrorists. The power that they have had (and continue to have) in Afghanistan is terrifying.

Happy Birthday, Anastasia!!

2009-10-07T14:54:00.004-05:00

My furbaby is 7 today!

Frog Friend

2009-10-07T14:30:00.004-05:00

One night I had a book talk meeting. When I came home I found a very sad little boy. I guess he and his Dad had found a frog friend in the yard but Dad wouldn't let Isaac keep the frog. But they did take pictures of him...here is one of them....

Anyone else thinking what I am thinking? Yeah, why was the frog on my kitchen rug? Todd said that it was too dark to take a good picture outside! LOL

All Boy

2009-09-26T08:57:00.003-05:00

I have heard how boys can have huge appetites but I thought it didn't usually kick in until the teen years. Well the other day we went to McD's and Isaac insisted that he was hungry and wanted a double cheeseburger AND chicken nuggets. So I caved and got him both. He ate it all plus some of my french fries. Wow! Maybe he will start gaining weight this way.....

Camping weekend

2009-09-23T10:30:00.003-05:00

We went camping last weekend, and it was so much fun. I love camping in the fall, it is cooler out, the sun goes down sooner and doesn't come up as early so we can have a campfire earlier and still get a good nights sleep.

We decided to "rough it" this weekend and went non-electrical so Isaac could be closer to the playground. He really enjoyed that. And Todd and I enjoyed being able to see the playground from our campsite.

Isaac has also become quite efficient at setting up the campfire. Both nights, he got the "fires" ready so all Todd had to do was light it. He is also very interested in stars and constellations. He can identify a couple of them.

Play Date Funny

2009-09-13T18:02:00.002-05:00

Isaac had a friend over today for a playdate. They were playing "pretend" and this is the conversation that followed.

Isaac: I am a turtle, here is my shell. What are you?
Friend: I am a fox. This is my house. I am going to take a nap in my house.
Isaac, the turtle, also found a house.
Friend: I am coming out of my house now to find something to eat.
Me: What do foxes eat?
Friend: Turtles.

We all cracked up at that!!

Labor day weekend

2009-09-11T19:17:00.005-05:00

I know I am way behind on this but I had to recooperate...hee hee...

We spent Labor Day weekend at my Aunt and Uncle's cabin. It was a blast! They have a great place, with plenty of room to park our camper. My parents brought their camper too. We did some jet ski riding, boat riding, four wheeling, walking, watching movies, and lots and lots of eating! We even had a couple of camp fires. It was a lot of fun!

Here is Isaac on the Jet Ski with my cousin....He just loves her...(no, they are not really crabby, they are cold, and were putting the jet ski on the trailer when I took the picture.)

Stacy's tricks.

2009-09-11T19:00:00.009-05:00

Stacy has always known a lot of tricks, but it is just recently that Isaac has been able to get her to do them. Here is one of the harder ones to get her to do....I know it is hard to see Stacy by the blue chair but Isaac is putting a piece of dog food on her nose and she has to wait until he says ok to eat it.

Painting

2009-09-11T18:55:00.004-05:00

Isaac enjoys painting wooden things. Here he is hard at work...

the finished product....

2nd Tooth Gone!

2009-09-02T19:29:00.002-05:00

Our lunch conversation yesterday:

Me: Isaac, where is your front tooth?

Isaac: what do you mean, mom?

Me: Umm, it is gone. Did you lose it at school today?

Isaac: I don't know, maybe. I think I did outside, but I was running too much to notice where it landed.

First Day of School

2009-08-27T19:54:00.007-05:00

Isaac started kindergarten today. He was very nervous about starting a new school. But the first day went great! His teacher said that he is a good listener.

As a side note, the school started a fundraiser of selling candy bars and Isaac insisted on going around the neighborhood tonight. He sold 40 candy bars already!

Wordless Wednesday

2009-08-25T19:49:00.003-05:00

Isaac funny

2009-08-25T19:45:00.003-05:00

Yesterday, Isaac was playing "superhero". He tells me "watch out...here comes the invisible flying Isaac."

ok, I just HAD to say it..."how can I 'watch out' if you are invisible?"

Wonderful Weekend

2009-08-20T12:52:00.003-05:00

Last weekend, Todd and Isaac went down to visit Todd's family on the farm. They had a great time. Isaac even got to "drive" two tractors. They shot bow and arrows. And Isaac even discovered what a record player is.

In the meantime....

Sarah stayed home and had a crafting weekend with her mother. We had a wonderful time. It has been years since the two of us have been able to spend time together like this.

Speech Progress!

2009-08-12T20:50:00.003-05:00

In May, I posted about Isaac's Speech Therapy Progress. At that time, Isaac tested at 23 errors, and 19th percentile. Then we set some goals and worked very hard this summer on CH, SH, and a little TH. On Monday, Isaac was retested and recieved only 13 errors!! That put him at the 31 percentile. With this level of progress, we have decided to have him "graduate" from this speech therapist and only see one this school year.

Way to go, Isaac! We are so proud of you and your hard work!

And Thank You so much to this great speech therapist and the wonderful program that she works with. Without them, Isaac would not have been able to recieve the therapy that he needed! Isaac totally loved going there, and was in tears today when he heard that he would be "done" now.

Isaac lost his First Tooth

2009-08-08T13:39:00.004-05:00

After three weeks of wiggling....

...Isaac has finally lost his first tooth!! Woohoo!

Harvest time

2009-08-07T16:22:00.004-05:00

Todd and Isaac have been starting to pick some vegetables out of their garden. We have had rhubarb, peas, onions, and carrots. And yes, I have actually cooked with some of the onions. Isaac loves them, so I thought I would just for him.

Amusement Park

2009-08-07T16:11:00.006-05:00

Last weekend, we took Isaac to the local amusement park. Here he is riding the go carts for the first time. Last summer, he was too short. And just as a side note, this child will not be getting a driver's license until he is like 30. He is a crazy driver!

Here is mom and Isaac having some fun on the bumper cars.

Going for a swing ride...

Feels Like Summer

2009-08-01T11:17:00.004-05:00

This week felt so much like summer at our house. Ok, not the weather...that was kind of cold. I mean with our schedules. We didnt have anything that we HAD to do this week. No speech all week, no OT, no swimming lessons, nothing. And it was soooo awesome! We slept in until like 8 every morning. We stayed home two days this week. And the other days we did fun things like a playdate with friends that we haven't seen for a while, and took a trip to the heritage center. Isaac loves it there, but we hardly get there. Next week, we jump back into a packed schedule.

A fun day!

2009-07-24T08:41:00.003-05:00

Isaac and I had a great day yesterday. We started out at Urban Harvest and enjoyed a puppet show, story time, mini donuts, and chatting with lots of friends. Some I havent seen for a very long time. One not since college!

In the afternoon, Isaac got some fun playing time with the neighbor. They flew kites until the kites were either tangled up or on the roof...and then headed to each of our back yards for a while and then into the neighbors house since it was getting hot out. So I got a little bit of quiet time, even though it feels odd to be able to let him just go and play in the neighborhood on his own (with a couple of rules, of course.) However, it is completely awesome to live in a neighborhood like ours.

In the evening, I had a great and much needed moms night out. We did a scavenger hunt and then had ice cream. It was a blast even though my team didn't win.

Picture this

2009-07-22T16:44:00.005-05:00

...A weird moment that happened today....

I was listening to my Blondie CD and doing the dishes, Isaac was dancing around the living room. As I was singing along with a song, it hit me...I have known the words to these songs since I was Isaac's age now. Hmmmm...

A purchase....

2009-07-20T19:02:00.006-05:00

...that I am sure that I will regret. Yes, it is an R.C. Tarantula! But it was on sale! And actually, Todd has wanted one for a long time. I tried to take a video but it turned out too dark, sorry.

The Tooth Fairy

2009-07-17T12:00:00.013-05:00

Isaac has two loose teeth but doesn't really want them to fall out. So I have been trying to motivate him to get them out with rewards of the tooth fairy coming. But with my literal child, it is just too complicated. Here is the conversation from this morning.

Me: Isaac, you should wiggle that tooth. If you get it out, the tooth fairy will come and leave you money.

Isaac: Or maybe a new monster truck? (he is all into the hotwheels monster trucks)

Me: I don't think the tooth fairy drives a monster truck. Besides how would she get home, if she left her monster truck here? (Sometimes, I can't resist teasing him.)

Isaac: Mom, she doesnt have to drive it, she could just drop it off. She is too big to drive it anyway. It is just a toy.

Me: I bet she could drive it, she is small enough. I think she is the size of Tinkerbell or something.

Isaac: Really? I want to know what she looks like, show me a picture.

Me: I don't have any pictures. I haven't really seen her. I am just guessing.

Isaac: You really don't have a picture? Maybe the internet has one? I know, when I loose this tooth, I will hide and take a picture of her.

Me: I don't think she will come if you are awake, kind of like Santa Claus.

Isaac: Then I will sneak-attack her and take a picture. Or a video.

Fourth of July

2009-07-17T12:00:00.010-05:00

We had a great Fourth of July. My mother came down for the weekend. We ate out alot so I didnt have to cook, yeah! The boys had fun with snaps, smoke bombs and sparklers. Todd bought a couple of bigger fireworks too. But we didnt need to buy many since my neighborhood turns into a "war zone" with all the fireworks going off. It was great fun to sit and watch our neighbors.

Vacation

2009-06-30T13:47:00.018-05:00

Hi, we are back from our fun-filled vacation. We started out in Minneapolis and then went over to Duluth. Then up the shore of Lake Superior staying in Silver Bay and Lutsen. It was great! Here are some pictures...

Isaac loved the Science Museum in Minneapolis. Here he is using the steam engine machine.

Here he is finding the USA on the world map at the Science Museum.

Isaac at the Minnesota Zoo in the butterfly garden.

Sarah and Isaac in Duluth watching a 1,000 foot cargo ship head out into the lake. There is a bridge there that has to raised up to let the ship out.

Isaac and Todd waving good bye to the cargo ship as it heads out into Lake Superior.

Here is Isaac at the wheel of a huge ship that we took a tour of. Lots of ladder type steps on it...Isaac did fantastic.

Sarah and Isaac walking over a bridge by High Falls.

Sarah and Isaac at the top of the Split Rock Light house.

The whole family at Gooseberry Falls.

Isaac chilling in the hammock at our hotel in Silver Bay.

Todd and Isaac on a canoe ride near Lutsen.

Sarah and Isaac in a tram going up to Moose Mountain in Lutsen.

Sarah and Isaac getting a good look at Lake Superior from the top of Moose Mountain.

Swimming lessons update!

2009-06-13T16:27:00.004-05:00

Isaac passed Level 1! Next time we sign up for Level 2. Way to go, Isaac!

Stay at Home Day!

2009-06-05T13:06:00.002-05:00

We are having a "stay at home" day! And it is great!

When school was on, Tuesdays were always stay at home days. But since school got out we have only had one stay at home day! And that was 10 days ago...so when Isaac was asking for a stay at home day earlier this week, I got out the calendar and scheduled one right away! Good idea, Buddy!

Swimming Lessons

2009-06-05T13:01:00.002-05:00

Isaac is doing swimming lessons this week and next. He has to do Level 1 again and he doesnt like it. I had to explain to him for three days that he was in Level 1 again and why, before he understood that it will be Level 1 for the whole 8 sessions. He thought he should be in Level 2 the second night.

I think his biggest problem may be sensory related, and I am not sure there is much he can do about it. He is trying so hard, staying focused on the teacher and practicing when it is not his turn with the teachers instead of splashing and goofing off like last year. I hope he gets passed to Level 2 next week. But just in case, I have been praising him up for his hard work and focus!

I've been tagged

2009-06-04T09:48:00.004-05:00

Megan over at Life with the Rostens tagged me...so here goes...

things I am looking forward to
1. a vacation to Minnesota
2. Seeing my nephew on the above vacation
3. To be chosen by a birthmother
4. Todd finishing the family room
5. Going camping again
6. MNO next week

things that I did yesterday
1. Read books to Isaac.
2. Brought Isaac to Speech
3. Talked on the phone to my sister
4. Brought Isaac to Swimming lessons
5. Cleaned up the yard
6. Played outside in the yard
7. Read a book on the deck.
8. Planned out some of our vacation

things that I wish I could do
1. International Adoption
2. Win the lottery to fund #1
3. Get my house more organized
4. Work as a teacher again

8 shows I watch
1. Law and order
2. Law and order:SVU
3. How I met your Mother
4. Rules of engagement
5. Desperate housewives
6. The office
7. Chuck
8. Two and 1/2 men

I know I didnt do 8 for each category, but oh well...And I am not going to tag anyone else since I dont know that many that Megan didnt already tag.

First Camping Trip

2009-06-01T19:35:00.013-05:00

If you are a camper, you know that the first few times out for the summer,you realize you forgot all kinds of things. With that in mind, I am going to do this post in the "not me" style that I have seen on some other blogs.

The idea was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

First off, I did not pack only one bag of potato chips for 4 days of camping. I mean that is only 8 meals. And of course, my husband did not eat most of that before mentioned bag of chips in our first meal.

Being a super mom, I most definitely did not forget the antibacterial wipes and did not use a mushy paper towel to wipe up the skinned knees that are inevitable while camping.

Of course, I did not forget 1/2 of our blankets. And I would never dream of getting up in the middle of the night to steal a blanket from my sweet, innocent sleeping child. (Hey, if he was sleeping, he didnt need it, right?)

I definitely did not teach my son a "Dead Milkmen" song around the campfire. (If you love somebody, set them on fire...")

Of course, I would never encourage Todd and Isaac to take a tour of the nearby power plant just so I could get some uninterupted nap time.

Being married to Todd, I would never, never dream of smuggling a portable DVD player into the camper. I did not let my son watch movies.

And finally, I did not give in and let my son bring home some flies that he had caught and put in his "bug box". Yuck, flies? why couldn't they catch less dirty bugs?

Actually, when it was all done, I think the trip went very well, and we all had a great time!

The Weaver

2009-05-25T16:54:00.010-05:00

This is a poem that is in a book that I started reading this week. I think it says a lot about life's disappointments.

The Weaver
By Grant Colfax Tuller

My life is but a weaving
Between my Lord and me,
I cannot choose the colors
He worketh steadily.
Oft times He weaveth sorrow,
And I in foolish pride
Forget He sees the upper
And I, the underside.
Not ‘til the loom is silent
And the shuttles cease to fly
Will God unroll the canvas
And reveal the reason why.
For the dark threads are as needful
In the Weaver's skillful hand
As the threads of gold and silver
In the pattern He has planned.
He knows, He loves, He cares;
Nothing this truth can dim.
He gives the very best to those
Who choose to walk with Him.

Isaac's song

2009-05-21T13:32:00.004-05:00

Here is the song that Isaac sang for his graduation program.

Isaac's Preschool Graduation

2009-05-21T13:18:00.008-05:00

Isaac graduated from Preschool on Wedsnesday morning. The class did a cute program about going camping. They all had their own song to sing. And even used a microphone to sing it. Surprisingly only one child was upset about singing by himself. Isaac loved it. But of course he likes to be loud. Here is a picture of Isaac at the microphone.

At the end of the show, they sang a song about being a big star now, so of course,they had their shades on.

Here is Isaac in line to get his diploma. He went across the stage too fast to get a picture of him actually getting it.

Isaac did such a good job. And I only cried a little bit.

After the graduation, we took him out to his choice of lunch, so we went to Kroll's to get some knoephla soup.

Speech Progress

2009-05-18T14:44:00.001-05:00

As most of you know, Isaac has been going to speech therapy for almost 2 years. Well this year we stepped it up to two different therapists for a total of three days each week. Isaac is done with one of those therapists for the summer.

Today at the other speech therapist, she decided to retest him to check his progress. He has gone up from 51 errors to only 23! That is a jump from the 3rd percentile to the 19th percentile! Wow! Way to go, Isaac!

So we set some goals for a couple of more sounds and then maybe Isaac can be discharged from this speech therapy in the fall!

A boy and his dog.

2009-05-15T19:45:00.002-05:00

Today Isaac decided that he really wanted to go outside despite the wind and cold. So I said he could if he brought Stacy with him and stayed in the back yard. So he gets his shoes and coat on and says to the dog, "Come, Girl, we are off to see the world!"

Umm, ok, just stay in the backyard....

Ugh

2009-05-15T08:00:00.004-05:00

It is raining today. It has been raining, thunderstorming, even snowing, and very windy all week! yuck-o!

I really hope we get some good camping weather sometime this summer.

Isaac's Ferris Wheel

2009-05-14T22:07:00.004-05:00

Isaac just loves k'nex. Here is a ferris wheel that he made the other day (with the help of the directions and his dad). He was so proud of himself. Way to go, buddy!

Moms Night Out

2009-05-14T22:03:00.003-05:00

Yes, we all need one every now and again. I went out with some friends tonight and had a great time! We went to Creative Clay, and painted some clay. It was a lot of fun. I will have to let you know how my bowl turns out. Then we went out to eat, I was going to have a dessert but I was so hungry after all that creativity, that I just went for a whole entree. It was yummy!

Thank you so much, ladies!

Happy Mother's Day!

2009-05-10T12:57:00.000-05:00

Happy mother's day to all my "mommy" friends! I hope you have a great day.

Things a 5 year old can do

2009-05-06T19:35:00.005-05:00

Isaac has been commenting a lot lately about things he can do now that he is 5. Here are a few...

He can drink out of a "glass" glass instead of a plastic one.

Write his name small "like a grown-up"

Brush his teeth all by himself.

He can listen to his mom at the zoo and not run off. (which was a very, very difficult thing at 4)

He is not too scared to go on the "spin-y" thing at the playground.

And now that he is 5, he doesnt need to run around the room and yell when mom vacuums. This is a very big thing with his sensory defensiveness. I was totally shocked by it....

I must say that Isaac has come so far in the last year. He is so much more mature and "grown up". This is not to say that the 3-year old version doesn't visit every once in awhile!

Awesome Saturday!

2009-05-02T19:57:00.003-05:00

We have all been so tired lately that we went to bed last night with the hopes of sleeping in today. Well we accomplished that goal plus some....I woke up about 8 but went back to sleep until after 9, but didnt get out of bed until almost 10. At that point, I was beginning to wonder where Isaac was. So I went to check on him. He was still asleep! He didn't get out of bed until 10:30!

After we had some breakfast, the boys headed out to shop for garden stuff and I went down to my craft room. Well, my boys take a long time to shop so I was able to get some scrapbook pages done, some cards cut out for Isaac to stamp, and a bracelet made before they were back again.

Then they went outside to do some gardening. I went out for a little while but the wind sent me back inside to read a book.

I feel like I have had a vacation!

Happy Birthday to Isaac

2009-04-24T13:30:00.008-05:00

Isaac turned 5 yesterday. He said it was the best birthday ever. Here are the pics....

Isaac wanted chocolate cupcakes. He brought some to school too.

Wooden models from Uncle Curt....

The movie "Bolt" and a new cap from Auntie Heidi....

K'nex and a baseball set from Nana Sue and Papa Ronnie...

Front-end loader from Mom and Dad....

And a bike from Mom and Dad...

What does Heaven look like?

2009-04-19T12:50:00.008-05:00

Today for church school, the project was to draw/paint a picture of what you think heaven looks like. Here is Isaac's picture. I am sure you can pick out the sun, rainbow and grass. He added blue for the sky. The yellow dots are stars. The colored dots are bubbles. And, oh yeah, the big brown/gray spots under the rainbow?

Yup, it is a mud puddle...

oh, and by the way this is what Isaac was wearing at church this morning....

He is such a boy!

Easter weekend.

2009-04-15T15:28:00.010-05:00

We had such a great weekend. My sister and her son came to visit. My parents also came for the weekend. Here are some pics from the holiday.

Isaac and his cousin colored eggs...

Here they are checking out their Easter baskets...

Here is Isaac looking for eggs...